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Monday, July 11, 2016

Secret Life of Pets Adoption Movie Review

Max was a small, friendly puppy alone in a cardboard box
when Katie found him and brought him to her Manhattan apartment. Now, Max and
Katie have formed a happy owner-dog family, and Max is very content to share
his life with her. But one day, Katie brings home Duke, a large, shaggy dog who
also needed a home.

(SPOILERS THE REST OF THE WAY) Max hates the thought of
sharing his home with a new brother, and Duke resents Max’s attitude – Duke has
come from the pound, and can’t afford to be taken back in. Max conspires to get
Duke in trouble so that Katie will get rid of him, and Duke conspires to get
Max lost far from home. While trying to get rid of each other, they encounter
animal control officers and a dangerous gang of human-hating mistreated
animals. Facing this mutual danger brings Duke and Max closer to each other; their
friends help them find their way home, and with their newfound friendship, they
are able to begin life as brothers.

The Adoption
Connection

Katie brought Max into her home, because Max needed a home.
Later, she sees Duke’s need for a home, and brings him in as well, telling Max
that they are now brothers. We don’t know why Max needed a home – Katie found
him in a box labelled “free puppies” – but Duke needs a home because he got
lost; he had chased something, and lost track of his elderly owner. Katie’s
home reminds me of a foster-adoptive home. The initially unaccepting feelings
that Max and Duke have towards each other might be familiar to kids who have
viewed new siblings with reluctance and skepticism. Duke feels desperate – he needs
this home to work out. Max feels displaced – Duke literally takes Max’s bed and
leaves him in the trash.

Duke does try to go home to his original owner, but finds
that his original owner has died; his initial response is anger towards Max,
but he and Max quickly repair their relationship.

The dangerous gang of human-hating animals calls themselves “The
Flushed Pets.” They have become embittered because they were discarded or
mistreated by the humans that had cared for them. They are bent on revenge
against the people who “said they love us, then throw us out.”

Strong Points

Max and Duke overcome a rough start to become friends and
brothers.

There are many more potential strong points covered in the next section.

Potential Strong Points, Possible Triggers

Max and Duke express realistic feelings; Max does not want a
new brother, and seems to fear being displaced. Duke acts out aggressively in
response to Max’s cold welcome, Max tries to get Duke in trouble, Duke
escalates his behaviors. Most behaviors make sense within a certain context –
and for Max and Duke, the context of their behaviors is that each wants a place
in Katie’s family, and they do not initially see how they can both fit. For some
young viewers, and for kids who have issues regarding rejection, some aspects
of this story could be very hard. For older kids, this film could be very
helpful for allowing them to talk to their parents about their feelings
regarding being new in a home, or about accepting a new sibling into the home.
I think Secret Life of Pets has the potential to be a triggering film for some,
and potential to be very helpful for others. Parents, you know your kids best,
so you might want to screen this one first to decide how it will likely impact
your kids. It’s definitely worth taking a look, and depending on your kids’
needs, it might be worth screening yourself before bringing your kids.

((DOUBLE SPOILER ALERT))

There’s a parallel to Finding Dory here (double spoiler
alert!!) Dory and Duke have both wandered away from their homes, and have been
lost for a long time. They both find their homes, and in both cases, their
loved ones are gone. Dory is able to find her parents, and incorporates her new
family with her original family. Duke’s situation plays out more painfully
(although some would argue, more realistically). He can’t reconnect with his
original family; he grieves this, and eventually bonds to his new family.

((END DOUBLE SPOILER))

Weak Points

It would be possible for kids to focus on Max’s and Duke’s
attempts to get rid of each other; it might take intentional guidance from parents
for kids to view the whole story in context – Max and Duke have normal feelings
which they followed into damaging behavior, but were able to be friends and
brothers even though they initially didn’t think it would be possible.

To try to impress the dangerous gang, Max and Duke fabricate
a story about how they used a blender to kill their owners. The gang howls
approvingly.

Recommendations

Secret Life of Pets probably isn’t a good choice for
families who have just recently added a new child into their home through adoption
or foster care; kids who do not yet feel secure about their place in their new
family might find this one very scary. It could also be rough for kids who have
known insecure home situations, who might have fears (even unexpressed fears)
of being taken from your home. However, for families who are considering adding
another member to their family, this would be an excellent film to use to
invite conversation about your kids’ worries, fears, and ambiguities about a
potential new family member. Think about this one for kids ages 7-12, but think about waiting on it if your family has recently added a member who might feel insecure about their place in the family.

Questions for
Discussion

Why was Max unhappy to have Duke come to his home? Was it OK
for him to feel that way?

What are some other ways that Max could have treated Duke?

If Max had been kind to Duke, how do you think Duke would
have felt?

At what point did Max and Duke become brothers?

What parts of having new people in our family are exciting?
What parts are scary?

What does it feel like to be new somewhere (like in a family,
or in a class?)